Caution: GOP Invading Beverly Hills

August 12- 14, the RNC is holding an "Election Countdown" at the Beverly Wilshire.  Per an invitation obtained by Talking Points Memo http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/documents/2010/07/republican-national-committee-event-featuring-andrew-breitbart.php?page=1, this three day confab will feature California Republicans Abel Maldonado, Jeff Denham, Wally Herger, Dana Rohrabacher, Damon Dunn and David Harmer, along with RNC Chair Michael Steele, Steve Forbes and video editor Andrew Breitbart.  The invitation says that all of California's state and federal GOP candidates were invited to participate.  That is one motley crew, gathering in a most improbable venue. Were all of the hotels in Orange County booked?

Notably absent from the list of confirmed participants are Moneybags Meg and Carly-fornia, along with the Governator, who is, after all, the state's top Republican.

Maldonado's participation with this gang of far-right characters is curious given his attempt to portray himself as a moderate who reaches across the aisle.

Equally curious is the prominence of David Harmer, who lost the special election for Tauscher's seat to John Garamendi and is now running against Jerry McNerney.  All of the rest of the participating Californians are either elected officials or, in the case of Dunn, at least a candidate for statewide office.  Harmer is hardly a high-profile guy.  And, the absence of any other GOP Congressional challengers seems to belie last week's claims by the California GOP that it has strong challengers to Democratic House incumbents Loretta Sanchez, Adam Schiff, Dennis Cardoza and Jim Costa.  One would think that the party would want to feature said challengers at the Friday evening "California Victory reception and dinner."  Perhaps, these challengers simply have the good sense to stay away from an event featuring the highly toxic Andrew Breitbart.

One of the many amusing features of the invitation is the so-called Friday "West Coast candidates panel," featuring gubernatorial candidates from Oregon, New Mexico and Nevada.  While Oregon is most certainly on the Pacific, its a fairly long drive from Nevada and New Mexico to the actual West Coast.  Parents attempting a family trek from these two states to the beaches of the Pacific will hear a lot of "are we there yet", from their spawn.

The event offers several levels of contribution for attendance, ranging from $60,800 to $1000.

 

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